First Christmas

I have to see this again!

         When my Husband and I first got married we looked forward to our very first Christmas together. We went out and bought a real tree and bought brand new ornaments and lights. Our apartment was so small it literally took about half and hour to decorate it completely,  but to us it was our very own Christmas fantasy. My Mom still lived in the city and our family tradition was to go to midnight mass. As a child we would walk home with our faces looking up to see if we could catch a glimpse of Santa.  I refused to give up that tradition; And My husband refused to give up his traditions as well. We couldn't combine the families soooooo....here is what we two geniuses decided to do. Celebrate with both. Christmas eve we were invited to celebrate with my husbands family at my sister-in-laws apartment. It was great. Then we raced into the city to celebrate with my family and go to midnight mass. That was great. We drove home at around 3am or so in the morning. The next day we raced over to his parents and opened gifts there and then raced to the city once again to open gifts at my moms. I know I know we were idiots. Now do you remember that scene in National Lampoon's Vacation where the camera pans to all the passengers in the car and then pans to the driver Chevy Chases Character and he is asleep too? Well, I fell asleep and awoke to find my husband (who was driving) nearly asleep too! That was the last time we did that crap. I came up with a simple solution. We take turns. One year one family gets us for Thanksgiving (now celebrated at my home when its my turn) Then that same year the other gets Christmas. Whom ever doesn't get Christmas day will usually get us for Christmas eve. Then the whole thing gets switched the next year. Still hectic but less idiotic.I was reminded of this story when I took ten minutes to bring up more decorations and came across one of our first Christmas pictures.....man we looked tired!